God’s own game? Football and Islam ft Valentina Fedele

THE FOOTPOL PODCAST

Do religions and particularly Islam have a view on football? In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Valentina Fedele, Associate Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicational Processes at Link Campus University in Rome. Valentina explains how most religions have beliefs and norms that apply to sport generally and football in particular, noting that Islam is not especially unique in this regard.  Looking at several Muslim majority countries  like Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Valentina discusses how the issue of the relation between football and Islam is multi-layered, with states, religious authorities and personal beliefs all playing a role. Valentina also points to new work she's doing on unaccompanied minors in Italy, some of them from Muslim countries, and how they relate to football.

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